Tasting Notes

2019 Senchuk Vineyard Pinot Noir

When we first planted our vineyard, we dreamed one day of making a wine like this! Incredibly weight, density and structure, yet still solidly medium+ bodied and agile. The cool and steady season was just about perfect for Pinot, creating a depth and balance this wine has never had before.  The number of layers is hard to fathom and keeps unfolding on the nose; first bing cherry, pomegranate, and sugar-beets, then wintergreen, earth and moss followed by tomato-leaf, tobacco, pepper and rose-petal. As the nose opens further herbs like tarragon, sage and oregano appear over dried leaves and damp soil. On the palate, kirsch and mulberry lead, followed quickly by fried oyster-mushrooms, tan-leather, fennel seed, cured-meat and pan-drippings.  Raspberry pokes back in, only to be subsumed by hazelnut-encrusted lamb, bramble and wet stone. On the one hand full-bodied with a core structure and tannin that can easily last a decade, yet with vibrant acidity and incredible nimbleness and balance.  This wine continues to amaze us and shows why we took the chance 11 (?!) years ago to try to make world-class wine on the edge of Niagara in the town of Winona.

2020 Senchuk Vineyard Chardonnay

WOW, what else can we say? The Senchuk Chardonnay is always the best expression of the vintage grown in the Senchuk Vineyard and this wine does not disappoint.  The aromatics jump out of the glass with lemon-curd, pineapple and fruit blossoms leading, encompassed by sea salt, spice and white pepper.  Although there is a richness to the nose of salt-water toffee and toasted almonds, there is also restraint, focus and minerality.  The palate demonstrates the complexity that is hinted at on the nose, with layers of both richness and restraint.  Miso crème brulee with caramel sea salt, hints of vanilla and warm ripe fruits all mixed together with “water over a mountain stream” level minerality!  The finish just goes on and on showing why this is a truly outstanding example of Senchuk Vineyard!

2020 Grimsby Hillside Chardonnay
An amazing growing season has given us a stunning debut for this vineyard! Exceptionally tightly wound, the bright lemon curd is balanced perfectly with wet-stone, gunflint and wisps of wintergreen in the background. With more air some green apple, pineapple, crème-fraiche and roasted almond do start to appear, but the fantastic notion of a cold mountain stream trickling over limestones never fades.  The palate is perfectly balanced showing good weight and structure which is almost immediately washed away with laser-like acidity.  The finish is exceptionally complex and long, fading very slowly. Truly unique!